You in Me
by V.S.9150
Summary: Finding you in me.
1. Chapter 1

Do you feel like there is no light in your life without him? It feels as though your whole universe revolves around him? Your entire being was meant for him? You feel gutted and frustrated when you are not able to find him in you? Nothing matters, nothing holds any attraction, and the meaning of your existence ceases to exist without him? You were meant only and only for him, no one else will do! He encompasses your soul, nurtures it, nourishes it, and lightens it. He gives you life! He is in YOU, the **HE** in your **HER**…

Can you imagine a life without her? Do you feel like the prime purpose of your life is to have, to hold, to possess, to be possessed, to obsess about and to be obsessed about by her? You're worth nothing without her to heal, redeem and cleanse you? She is the day to your night! She is in YOU, the **SHE** who completes your **HE**…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter one**

Dark clouds swirled in the sky, threatening it with snatching away its beautiful and warm blue colour, the wind blowing away anything in its path almost resulting in a raging cloudburst. Clearly a thunderous storm was brewing!

A set of eyes were looking out, into the sky, lost in deep thought, through the enormous glass windows on the 18th floor of a magnificent building with an even more magnificent view. But today, the view was clearly wasted on the pair of those sinful, rich, melting, golden coloured eyes. Perfectly arched eyebrows framed those mesmerizing eyes. You would kill to get those eyes to look at you for just a fraction of a nanosecond. That was all it took, one glance and you would be rooted to the spot, possibly glued to it permanently, till it beckoned you to move. Sheer wizardry!

It belonged on a face that was carved so beautifully, that it was every sculptor's dream to almost worshipfully lay his fingers on it and try to re-create the masterpiece. The chiseled features belonged in an era that was untouched by time. The chin at the bottom of the face had an arrogant jut to it. There was nothing soft about the face. It was a face that you would dare not mess with. It was crowned by unkempt, untamed, short-spiky jet black hair. It had the ability to catch the sunlight and transform itself into a myriad of different colors ranging from the darkest shade of blue black to a hint of really, really, dark brown, never settling on any, always wanting to rebel. You would cut your arms off just to run your fingers through it. May be the word "fingering" was invented by the person having dirty thoughts about wanting to do things to that fabulous mane!

The calm, soothing, symphony, "**_Sparrow by_** **_Miika Mettiainen_**" playing in the background, added a sort of eerie feeling to the atmosphere. The sound of a phone ringing in the distance faded into the music. There was a knock on the door.

"May I come in sir?"

"What is it?" asked an anger infused voice.

"I am so sorry to interrupt sir, but the message that I am supposed to…"

"Don't waste my bloody time! Get on with it! FAST!" said the voice.

"I am afraid it's about your mother sir. Your housekeeper just called and she was very, very upset. She said…"

Even before the assistant could complete his sentence, the form moved quickly across the room like a bolt of lightning. Pinning the assistant to the wall with a massive forearm of one hand, snaking the fingers of the other around his fragile neck and looking down into his eyes which had now gone huge on his pale face, the voice roared, "What about my mother? Is she alright? Why didn't you direct the call to my phone immediately?"

Seeing the anger on his boss's face the assistant now went into full blown panic! He knew that his boss was formidable and certainly not a person to be around in such a situation. If only he could finish delivering this message, he would be out of here in no time and would never look back for as long as he lived. He would be grateful to god for every single day of his life, if he were to get out of this room in a single piece.

"Sir, I did direct it to your desk phone, but… _swallow… _but…. there was no response on your side sir…. _Gulp…"_

The face that was so beautiful and serene just a minute ago now looked like an archangel's wrath!

"Sir, I think… I think…. you are needed at the hospital. Your housekeeper said….. _gulp_….that your mother fainted and fell down the grand set of stairs. She has been admitted to St. Marks hospital and is in a critical condition" said the assistant screwing his eyes shut with fear of being throttled to death by his employer.

"No! No! NO, NO, NO! ….. This can't be happening! I won't let her die!" The eyes which had now turned bleak turned skywards and said "Please let her be ok… I won't survive a second time"

By now the assistant was left to slump down to the floor all but forgotten, he looked at his boss who was now pulling out his mobile and punching in the numbers with so much force that it looked as though the poor mobile was now getting the beating of its life.

"Hello? St. Marks Hospital? I am Christopher Orrick speaking. I want the best doctors in the hospital working on my mom's condition right now! I don't care how much it costs! I will buy the damn hospital if I have to! Do you hear me?"With that the assistant watched his boss storm out of the office and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Christopher rushed into the hospital breathing fire. Every single person moved, making way for him submissively as though in auto-pilot mode.

When Christopher got to the Intensive Care Unit where his mother was admitted, he bellowed to the nurse in the room, "Where is the damned doctor? I want one in here within the next second! Or God help him, he will be dragged in here!"

"Chris! Calm down love. I'm here now. I am doing my best to save her. Please, for her sake, keep things quiet around here" Said a beautiful, angelic voice which had now come running into the room. Not many people used that tone with Christopher and got away spot free. He turned immediately, utter shock on his beautifully frozen face.

"Alana? Oh God! Help me. Save my mum. Do whatever it takes, I don't care. I want her back." He hugged her, almost crushing her into his chest. She soothed him by murmuring that everything was going to be ok. That she wasn't going to let anything bad happen to his mother. She stroked his back and his nape where his hair touched the tip of his shoulder blades.

"I am taking her into surgery now. She is a fighter Chris. She'll survive. Stay positive. Please try not to wear yourself out. You need to be strong for her."

Alana Wolf was one of Christopher's really close friends. He knew he could always count on her. He knew she was one of the top surgeons in the world. If anybody could save his mum then it had to be her. His mom wouldn't leave him alone in this world. She wouldn't dare, not now when he had finally made enough money to lay the whole world at her feet, just like he had promised her when he was a boy. He remembered telling her with a toothy grin when he was ten years old, "Mum, I love you the most! One day, I am going to become really, really, rich and I am going to buy the whole world for you to live in." To that, his mum always said, "Well my dear, my world is you. So I'll always have the world with me and also in me forever" Just thinking about it made him breakout in a cold sweat.

After all that she had been through, she deserved all the comfort and much more that money could buy. He was going crazy. He was almost wearing the tiles on the floor off with his constant pacing up and down the corridor. He needed to be positive. Isn't that what Alana said? He was a Multi-billionaire! He would buy his mom's life if he had to. Nobody took away from him what was his. Not even DEATH!

Alana finally came out of the OT, elegantly peeling off her surgeon's gloves. She looked at Christopher and said "I have done all I can Chris. It's totally in her hands now. She has to fight her way up to the surface, through the coma that is trying to pull her down. Let's hope she doesn't give up. Go talk to her love. Your mum needs you the most at the moment"

She rose on her tip toes and kissed him sadly on his cheeks. Hugging him closely she said "I'll be in my office, if you need me. I am not going anywhere." With that she turned and left him to face his greatest fear, him not being able to take away his mum's pain.

He slowly walked into the ICU. He simply couldn't think of the last time he had seen her in the same position, lying limp and lifeless. It was not going to happen again. He needed her to fight, to get up, and to see him make that bastard pay. He had it all planned. She needed to be there to witness it, to see the final piece of puzzle fall neatly into place.

So he spoke to her about all the good memories that he shared with her, held her hand constantly, spoke about the plans that he had made for the future. Spoke about how he was going to show her the whole world. He stayed by her side, day and night, never leaving. Alana visited them once in every few hours, checking up on both of them.

After two days, when Chris showed no signs of eating or sleeping, Alana tried to get him to eat.

"Love, I won't have you weakening yourself like this. Your mom would want you to take care of yourself, no matter what happened to her. Go get something to eat and try to catch up on some sleep. I'll stay here by your mom's side. If she comes awake, I'll call you immediately. Please Chris."

"Alana, I can't. Don't ask me to leave." He said with bleak eyes. She wanted to hold him and make things better for him. But she knew, what Christopher wanted right now was his mum and not her comfort.

After five days of painful wait, Sharron Orrick, Christopher's mother, finally opened her eyes. She looked at her son who was sitting with his head in his hands, resting on his knees. Tears began to stream down her face. "Chris", she croaked. Hearing his mother's voice, his face immediately flew up. He flew to her side at once, "Mum, Oh Mum! Thank God! You're alive. You don't know how happy I am to finally see you speak. I am going to church every Sunday from now on. Thank you, thank you so much God!"

His mum looked at him through tear stained eyes and said "Son, I love you the most in the world. You are the best possible son, a mother could bear. I am so proud of you love! You have been my world. You will always be." She looked like a wraith, very weak, the nerves in her hands sticking out. Her eyes held very little life.

"You are going to find a girl, who is going to love you to heaven and back. Promise me two things…. _Gasp_…. Don't waste your…. your life thirsting for revenge son. Let the past go…. Two, when you find….. the woman whom you absolutely can't live without, you'll hold on to her and never let her go no matter what. Promise me Christopher…. Promise me!" The words were barely whispered.

He was puzzled by what his mum was saying. Still he decided to humor her and promised her that he would do anything she asked of him. She looked at him with a peaceful, contented smile, put her frail hands to his cheeks and brought his face down to kiss him on both the cheeks. Still not letting go of his face she looked at him one last time to her heart's content as she slowly, very slowly faded into oblivion.

That was the death of Christopher Orrick.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter two**

**_Three years later…_**

"Shit! We need to hurry. We'll miss the flight otherwise. We can't have that. Hurry up Shara!" I look at my best friend who is sitting calmly on the couch. Legs crossed elegantly, her chin in her hands, staring at me with a warm, loving smile. Her suitcase is already packed and placed by the door. I sigh. I obviously forgot who I was talking to. This is Shara we are talking about here.

She hardly misses her schedule. Come to think of it, in all of the three years that I have known her, never once have I seen her flustered or panicky. She sure does know how to maintain her calm façade. How does she do it? I wonder. I realize I have been staring at her for quite some time now.

She breaks my trance and says in a soft, amused tone, "Alice? Earth to honey! Weren't you saying something about missing a flight?" Her eyes dance mischievously. Damn! I quickly zip my bag up, check whether I have everything I need and carry my luggage to the door.

This is the first holiday that we are taking in a very long time. I am really excited. We are going to Bali. Maybe I'll meet a handsome stranger in Bali, on the beach and fall in love with him. Oh, I like that idea very much. Gives me goose bumps! I then look at Shara. How would she react if a handsome, really beautiful, intense stranger pursued her with determination? I know the answer to that. I laugh as I remember the song, **_"The irresistible force by Jane's addiction"_**Bang. Bang. Bang.

She smiles at me as though she can almost hear my mind voice. See, that's the thing about Shara, she gets people so well. She would just have met you for the first time, but she will tell you things about yourself that you would never have told anyone, confessed to anyone. It's creepy when it happens the first time, but it's also very easy to relax and be yourself after that around her as she gets you inside out in just one meeting. There's no room for pretense. She doesn't judge you, doesn't expect anything, she just lets you be. That's how we became friends. Shara and I are Entrepreneurs. In the world of business, they say it's difficult to find true friends. I consider myself lucky. I beam back at her and do my best Queen Elizabeth impersonation, "Shara darling, let's go break a leg". She throws her head back and guffaws. I call it the boom-boom laugh! It's the kind of laugh that lights up the whole room, gives a happy vibe to the atmosphere. I can't stop my own giggles. I loop my hand through hers. We lock our apartment and get into the waiting cab.

Driving through rush hour traffic in Chicago is a pain in the ass. I fidget with my hair, looking out the window. I am bored. I am a very restless person. I need something to keep myself occupied all the time. I turn to Shara to find her reading a book. Just what I thought! Gosh! The woman could give Shakespeare a run for his money. I snatch the book from her hand and give her a stern look. "If this is your idea of a vacation, lounging around the whole day in the hotel with a book in your hand, I am telling you now, I will start a bonfire right in the middle of the hotel lobby and set fire to all those books that you have secretly stashed away in your carry on. I won't have it Shara! Consider yourself forewarned". I hear her mutter under her breath "Bossy woman! Pffft…" I smile to myself. She puts the book back into her bag.

"So tell me about this hot guy you keep dreaming of" she asks me. I look at her with a raised eyebrow. Wiggle it a little bit to exaggerate my amusement. This one thing never fails to surprise me, a phlegmatic like Shara, wanting to hear me talk about my wet dreams. _Seriously? _She never fails to surprise me.

"You wanna know how many times this sexy stranger made me come, huh?" I wink at her with a naughty grin. One corner of her lips slightly lifts up and her eyes go dark. She gives me one of her famous intense stares.

Bloody hell! This woman doesn't even blush. WOW! That's a revelation! Wish I could so read what's going on in her mind. My eyebrows have now crawled up my forehead. They are clearly perched on the top of my head. I chase them down and clear my throat. Clearly I seem to be the only person feeling flustered here. Damn it! I narrow my eyes at her. I am really trying hard to come up with something that is going to make her blush to Antarctica and back! How about - I was whip-creamed? Hee hee heee!

"I got whip-creamed honey and some." I smile smugly at her. She lets out the boom-boom laugh for the second time that day. The driver clearly is taken aback. He looks at us through the rear view mirror with a quizzical expression on his face. Clearly he thinks, both of us are certified lunatics. I grin at her.

"You go girl! At least one of us is getting some action. I'll feed off your sweaty fantasies till I can dream of my own dirty ones." She says in between subsiding giggles. I snort.

"Shara Ballentine, you just wait lady! You are going to find a man who is going to screw you seven ways to Sunday and make you see the seven colors of the rainbow while making love to you. You won't know what hit you! As your best friend I am acquiring the rights to say **_I TOLD YOU SO _**when the time comes. It's going to be amazing." I sigh dreamily.

She sighs too. "You know, I hate to disappoint you, but I have very specific needs that not all men can satisfy" she says.

"And what specific needs might that be? Are you finally going to confess something about yourself to me?" This has me interested, I sit facing her in the cab cross legged on the seat.

The driver coughs discreetly as though he is trying to subtly hint us about his presence in the car. I scowl at the back of his head. He is so not messing this up! Come on, a girl needs some gossip and girlie talk. I rarely find Shara in one of these moods. Must be the vacation spirit! It must be getting her excited.

"So what kinds of men satisfy your specific tastes?" I ask, looking at her face closely. Just checking to make sure she is not trying to make a fool out of me. I notice that even the driver's ears have perked up waiting to hear her answer this question. Ha! Not so disinterested now are we? I quickly turn my attention back to Shara who seems to be giving my question some deep thought.

She turns with a wicked smile on her face. Oh no! No! She is so not going to…..

"Just because you tell me all your wicked fantasies doesn't mean I am going to walk around giving you a scintillating confession about my deep dark desires." She sticks her tongue out at me.

"Shara Ballentine you suck big time!" I sulk.

"Oh, trust me. That I do!" she says and throws in a wink to go with it. I can't help it. I laugh. I love this stupid, best friend of mine. I lean over to give her a tight hug. She hugs me back. We stay that way for a few minutes.

I can't tell you the number of times she has been there for me, questions unasked. She has always been a pillar of love and support. I don't know what I would do without her. I have a sister in London. But I barely speak to her. Shara is more like a close sister to me. She knows everything there is to know about me. What makes me tick, what makes me happy, what I need when I am feeling low.

I genuinely hope she finds a nice guy. We reach the airport finally. We pay the cab driver, who now is looking at us with a smile on his face.

We finish all the necessary security checks. We are now sitting in front of our departure gate waiting for the boarding. She pulls out her book again and plugs in her iPod. She gets lost in the music and the book. It sometimes seems to me as though she tries to escape into another world through these books. But she does have an amazing collection of songs and books. This is one thing I know for sure about her. She is a music junkie. She is an amazing singer and plays the guitar and the piano. But she plays only for herself, for no one else.

I need a cup of coffee. I tap on her shoulder to ask her whether she needs a caffeine fix. She looks up at me with blank eyes. The girl just got here and she is already lost in her books. I point towards the coffee counter and then look back at her with a question mark on my face. She shakes her head from side to side to say no and goes back to reading. I walk across the waiting lounge to the coffee stall and order a cup of whipped cream latte for myself. I drink coffee as though I am making love to it. It might look comical to a stranger, but I don't give two hoots as to what anyone thinks about me. I look down at the creamy sinful liquid in my hand and drink it in visually. I have my first sip and I close my eyes in sensual pleasure. I bring my face close to the mug and let the rich, coffee aroma hit my nose. I reverently lift the mug to my lips and take my second heavenly sip. _Aaaaaaaaah….. _Bliss re-incarnated! I would call coffee one of my vices. It makes me think dirty thoughts. Now that I have had my fill of elixir, holding the mug in one hand, I scan the room, looking at the people around me. I notice one big, sort of cute, sweet looking man with boyish sort of charm checking my friend out.

Shara is not someone who is exceptionally beautiful or pretty. But she radiates beauty from within which makes her look extremely sexy. She doesn't scan a room when she enters it. She doesn't need to. She knows she has everyone's attention the minute she enters it. There is something about her that makes all the eyes in the room turn towards her. It's the cloak of mystery and intrigue that always hangs around her that pulls men and women alike towards her, I think. Even I have never been able to put my finger on it. I notice that Mr. Sweetums has moved into the seat next to her. I smile. Good luck there boy! I can't help smiling at Sweetums as he tries really hard to strike up a conversation with my mysterious Shara. But as usual, my dimwitted friend doesn't notice. I walk back to them and decide to lend a helping hand. Who knows? He could just be the one to finally tame my witch of a friend. As I near them, I throw that thought right out the window. Nope. This one won't do at all. He won't succeed in holding her attention for even a second. He doesn't have a fierce personality to tackle someone like Shara.

Poor guy! He seems so sweet. If only Shara was one of the typical women. "Hi!" I say. He looks up at me as I am standing there with my hand stretched out, waiting for him to shake it. He is a bit confused. I think he didn't notice me coming in with Shara. He shakes my hand after pulling himself together and says "Hi. Um…." Great! He is a nervous wreck. He will crumble under my girl's intensity. "I am Alice Wolf. This here is my best friend Shara Ballentine." I pull the headphones from her ears. I finally have her attention now. I do a crappy job of trying to roll my eyes and point out Mr. Sweetums who is now waiting eagerly to shake hands with Shara and finally have her acknowledge him. But no, she raises one of her eyebrows and gives me a _Now what?_ Look. I sigh. "Shara this is Mr.…." I look at Sweetums with a pointed look silently asking him to fill in the blank.

"Um, Hi Miss Ballentine. I am Jake Saxon. Hi Miss Wolf." He nods at me and puts his hand out for Shara to shake. She smiles at him. Only I know that the smile is nothing but motherly. She quickly shakes his hand and puts her hand back on her lap. She turns back to her book. Jake tries unsuccessfully to make small talk. "Isn't it a beautiful day today?" he says. She doesn't look up from her book as she says "Definitely seems like it" I can hear the smile in her voice. The woman knows what she is doing. I sit down beside her and prepare myself for some entertainment. If only I could get some popcorn! It really is funny to see her brush men off. Cool, polite with a touch of insult thrown in when someone is really annoying. Of course the Jakes out there don't get the signal.

"So you travelling?" he asks. Boy! He sure does know how to make conversation. Seriously? We are sitting in an airport for heaven sake. Why else would we be here?

Shara patiently looks up at him, gives him her best patronizing smile and sweeps her hand across the room "Seems like it." I give her brownie points for that. The woman sure doesn't fall short in the wit department.

Mr. Sweetums blushes slightly but bravely pursues the conversation with the cool, unflustered Shara. "So… Um….Where are you both going?" Clearly he has realized he needs my help. He tries to include me in their conversation. Shara doesn't offer any information. She just smiles at him. Oh boy! I know that smile. It's her _Chapter closed _smile. She will just smile her way out of a question when she doesn't want to answer it. But I understand why she is doing it now. Obviously, we just met the guy. He could be a stalker for all we know. But he doesn't seem the type and he clearly looks really uncomfortable right now. I decide to cut him some slack.

"We are going to Bali. Have you been there before?" I give him my best dazzling smiling, trying to put him out of his misery. He jumps at the opportunity to finally have something to talk about and goes off about his adventures (which he thinks is really witty).

"Oh, Bali? It's a beautiful place. I have been there. You know, you guys should visit…" I zone out of the conversation. I look at Shara. She is nodding her head at the appropriate places with a smile on her face, even throwing in some questions to make him feel comfortable.

Shara always listens. She is a fantastic listener. Even when you don't make any sense, she listens patiently. She never tires of hearing others speak. At the end of the conversation you'll realize you have almost spilled out your guts to her and you don't know any damn thing about her. I clearly see this conversation heading in that direction.

We are saved by the call to board our flights. I get up and pick up my suitcase and my tote. She gets up too. Sweetums rushes to wrap up the conversation. Obviously he still hasn't gotten around to getting, sorry, trying to get her phone number.

"Miss Ballentine, Um… I was hoping that you would … you know…give me your number. Can I… that is… Um.. Have your number?" He looks hopeful.

Shara gives him her motherly smile again and says "It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Saxon. But you see, for me personally it takes more than a chat at the airport to give my number to someone. Please don't get me wrong. I really hope to see you around someday. Have a safe and comfortable journey." She nods at him, smile still intact, picks up her suitcase and her bag and walks away without a backward glance.

Sweetums is slightly crushed. Well, I feel bad for him too. He looks like a sweet guy but Shara isn't the right girl for him. It's my turn to bid him goodbye. _Let's get this over with Alice_, I tell myself.

I look at him with a genuine smile and say "It was nice meeting you Mr. Saxon. Hope you have a nice journey." With that I am about to turn when Mr. Sweetums interrupts me again. "Wait Miss Wolf! Did I offend Miss Ballentine in some way? I was really … Um… hoping she would be interested in going out with me sometime. She was even listening intently when I was talking" He is clearly confused.

_Why me?_ I cry on the inside. I am not good at this mothering people and patting-them-on-the-head thing. I clearly need to deliver some home truths here. The more I put it off, the harder it's going to get.

"Mr. Saxon. Let me spell it out for you in clear words. Shara is not your type. She has specific needs which only certain types of men can satisfy." I pat myself mentally for using that tidbit of information from our conversation before.

"Unfortunately you are not one of them. Forgive me, if I sound rude. But consider yourself lucky. You'll find someone who's meant for you." I feel bad portraying Shara as a somewhat cold, distant woman, but she will thank me for easing him out of this pickle of a situation. She is one of the most considerate women I know. I wave goodbye at Jake and go stand next to Shara.

She looks at me and says "Thank you so much." Her face is unreadable.

"It's ok Shara, you can't say yes to everyone just because you think you'll hurt their feelings by saying no. Now let's go have some fun in Bali. Woot, woot!" We grin at each other.

"Bali, here we come!" she says looking straight ahead with an exciting smile, straightening her shoulders. I loop my hands through hers and off we go to Bali.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter three**

I stand tall. My hands are in my pant pockets and I am staring into the distance, seeing everything and at the same time seeing nothing. The wind whips my hair ruthlessly. It flops down on my forehead. The emotions roiling inside me are uncontrollable. It feels like a boat being rocked vigorously against the shore during a violent storm. Every time I think about my mother's death my gut churns. It is three years today since my mum's death.

The only remorse I feel right now for what I am going to be doing is breaking the promise that I made my mom about letting my thirst for revenge go. But I simply can't shake the blinding fury that I feel every time I think about him. I simply can't imagine letting him go unpunished.

I look at the tomb stone in front of me.

"In Loving Memory of"

Sharron Mary Orrick

Jan 12 1959 – August 20 2010

For touching people's hearts and for being a shining ray of hope in our lives!

Just looking at it sends me on a downward spiral. I let myself drown in the sea of raw emotions that are boiling to the surface.

The incessant ringing of my phone brings me out of my self-absorbed state. I look at the screen and I see my lawyer's name, Seth Bayer, flashing on it. I scowl. I answer the call immediately wanting to know what the pressing matter is. "Hello. What is it Seth?" I wince slightly on the inside as it sounds more like a growl than a greeting.

"Good morning Mr. Orrick. All the documents necessary to close the Roche deal are ready. Would you like me to bring them to you so that you could go through them?"

If there is something that makes me forget the pain and the sorrow of my childhood, it's my work. I love what I do. I am the CEO of a multi-billion dollar Enterprise, Orrick Global Corporation.

I know that to survive on this planet, the most essential commodity needed is not food, not water, not oxygen, but money. I learnt that at a very young age. Money talks! With money comes Power, Influence, Control, Opportunity and most important of all, for me, _Freedom_. The freedom, to live my life, the way I have always wanted.

"Yes. Call Ana and fix a meeting for 10.30 am today please. We leave for Singapore today afternoon and I would like to go through the closing documents before taking them with me" I say and end the call.

The last assistant who worked for me had to be fired because he simply had failed to deliver the news of mum being critical in the hospital to me on time. I hate inefficiency in people and especially when it's a matter of life and death concerning one of the people I cherish the most in this world, I won't tolerate it.

I turn to look at the tombstone one last time before I leave and I hear my mother's voice whispering to me "_You are going to find a girl, who is going to love you to heaven and back. Promise me that when you find the woman whom you absolutely can't live without, you'll hold on to her and you'll never let her go, no matter what. Promise me Christopher…. Promise me!"_

The air around me suddenly becomes chillier. I feel a fist close around my heart and I close my eyes. I have never even thought about it in all these years. Why now? The feeling is inexplicable. I shake my head as though to clear my head of these wayward thoughts.

Without a backward glance, I leave. My driver, Simon, is waiting by my car. He is the only person other than Alana who knows what this day means to me. Simon holds the door of the car open for me. He doesn't say a word, simply waits for me to get in.

I nod at him and I see understanding and compassion dawn in his eyes. I quickly look away because it makes me feel vulnerable. I silently get into the waiting car. Simon closes the door and gets into the driver's seat. He starts the car and looks at me in the rear view mirror, questioning me silently.

"Drive me to my office" I say.

He nods and the car zooms away. I am dressed for a video conference with one of my overseas clients. I yank the cufflinks off and roll up my sleeves. I loosen my tie in a hurried fashion. I absolutely detest them. They make me feel restrained. I feel like I am always struggling to break out of them. I run a hand through my messy hair and decide to get to work.

I pull my laptop out and go through all my emails and some of the documents that Seth has mailed me. This deal is of great significance to me. It denotes the entry of Orrick Global Corporation into the Asian geography and economy. I have really worked hard for it and I have personally seen to everything, including the dotting of the i's and the crossing of the t's. I can't wait to add the prestigious group of hotels to my conglomerate.

I look out the window at the scenery that looks like a surreal painting made of rich colors. London is my home base. But I own houses and have offices in almost every country. It's easier to do business that way for me.

My phone starts ringing again. This time a smile creeps up my face as I spot the caller. It says Alana Wolf.

"Good morning Alana. How are you?" The smile spills into my voice.

"Chris dear, it's been ages since I last saw you. What's been keeping you so occupied that you can't even come, visit your close friend?" She chides, but I sense the smile in her voice.

"I have been working day and night on the acquisition of the Roche chain of hotels in Singapore. I don't even know what day of the week it is Alana. Trust me. That's my condition right now"

"Chris love, you have never lied to me. Don't start now. I know what today means to you. I am just calling to check up on you and see whether you are doing alright. Are you fine Chris?" I hear the concern in her voice and I feel bad for lying to her.

"I sometimes wish I could somehow resurrect her and bring her back to life. But even I know I am not God. I visited her grave today, took her a beautiful bunch of white lilies that she always loved. I can't say I am fine Alana. But I am getting there." This is the truth. Though Alana knows I was devastated when I lost my mother, she knows nothing about my tragic childhood.

"You need a woman to take care of you. Maybe it's time you got married, had kids and started a family of your own. You are one of the most eligible, richest bachelors in the world. You can have anybody you want. Is there someone you love Chris?" I frown as I notice the naked curiosity in her question. Alana of all the people should know that I am not marriage material. Why this sudden rush then, to get me married?

"Alana, I enjoy and love my freedom too much to restrict it by getting into a relationship of any kind. I don't want that for myself. Now stop being such a mother hen and tell me how things are at your end."

"Life is hectic as a surgeon. But I love every single minute of it. The bone deep satisfaction that I get saving lives surpasses the exhausting, bad and shitty days, any day. I won't change my profession even if you gave me a billion dollars."

I laugh. "I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that. Always make a living out of what you are most passionate about. Clearly you seem to be following it. Anyways, I am off to Singapore today afternoon. If things go by smoothly, I should be back next week for your birthday party." I grin, because I have clearly surprised her by remembering her birthday.

I would never forget her birthday for two reasons: A) Alana throws one hell of a party for her birthday. That's the only day she lets herself loose. B) She has always been a good friend to me. A person, I know I can always count on and I really value her friendship. There is no way I would miss her birthday and be the cause of her disappointment.

I notice that she has fallen silent on the other end. "Hello? Alana, are you there?" I enquire.

"You remember, huh?" She smiles. "Good that you haven't forgotten my birthday, saves me the trouble of having to remind you." She giggles.

"Wish I could come to Singapore with you. I have never been there." She sighs.

"You know what? If I manage to close the deal, I'll gift you an all expenses paid trip to Singapore. How does that sound? Or do you want me to get you something from there?" I ask, knowing she'll not be able to resist the offer made.

"You pig! You are making me daydream. It's a dangerous thing to do as a surgeon. Quit messing with my head and go play the hot shot billionaire!" she laughs.

"Bye Alana. Take care." I say and disconnect the call. I see Simon's smiling face in the mirror. I feel much more calm and relaxed now, knowing that I am surrounded by people who genuinely care about me.

When I reach the office, I see my lawyer waiting for me. When he spots me, he immediately stands up to greet me. "Good morning sir. I have all the documents that you asked for in here." He says and pats the file he is holding in his hand.

I nod at him and turn to my assistant "Ana, I'll be flying out to Singapore today afternoon. Please call Jake and ask him to get the jet ready immediately. I want to leave at 2pm. Also reschedule all the meetings for when I come back from there. See to it that these things get done pronto."

I walk into my office followed by my lawyer. We sit down at my table and he hands me the file. I take my time going through every single detail. I am a perfectionist. When I am satisfied with the contract that has been put together, I look up at my lawyer who is waiting patiently for me to finish reading the documents.

"Good job Seth. I am happy with our team's work. As you heard me tell Ana, we leave at 2 pm. I'll see you at the airport" with that I dismiss him.

I see him scurry out of my office. I turn in my chair to the huge, ceiling-to-floor glass windows behind me. It has a magnificent view. I get up from my chair to go stand near the windows. The sun streaming through it glints off the surface of my desk. I put my hands in my pant pockets and stare out the window. I see my reflection on the glass, the many emotions running through my eyes. I don't want to deal with them now so I push them into a trap door and secure the bolt.

I turn away from the view and get through the rest of the meetings scheduled for the day. When I notice that its half past noon, I stuff all the important documents into my briefcase, straighten my shirt sleeves, put the cufflinks and the tie back on. I walk into the closet connected to my office and choose a blazer to go with my shirt. I ease myself into it.

My office has a private elevator that can be accessed only by me with my biometric print and a pass code. I gather my briefcase and walk towards the elevator and press the down button. A panel folds out of the wall and appears in front of me and I press my thumb into it. It reads my finger print and asks me for the pass code which I enter. The doors open immediately and I step into it.

It whisks me down to the private parking space that I have on the basement. I see my driver waiting for me with my car. "Simon, drive me to the airport." I say and get into the car.

When I reach the airport, I see Seth and his team of lawyers waiting for me outside the airport. I greet them and we head towards my private plane. I spot Jake waiting by my jet, dressed in his pristine pilot uniform. I nod and he smiles back at me.

"Good afternoon Mr. Orrick"

"Good afternoon Jake. How did you trip go? You had flown to Chicago to visit your family, isn't that right?" I ask. I notice his smile falter and his eyes go a bit sad.

"It went well sir. The jet is all ready and waiting. Shall we go sir?" he asks. I nod.

Jake is a very shy person. He looks all burly but he is a softie at heart. I gather that something must have happened in Chicago that he doesn't want to talk about. I let the matter rest. I am not the kind of person to pry into other people's lives. Since I value my privacy a lot, I give others theirs.

I get into the flight and the air hostess standing by the door looks up at me through half-lidded eyes and says "Welcome aboard Mr. Orrick." I nod at her and proceed towards my seat.

Though I have my own private cabin on this plane, I choose to sit with my employees. My lawyers make themselves comfortable in the front as I seat myself in the back. I notice some of them openly admiring the fully customized insides of my jet.

I turn my attention away from the group in the front and prepare myself for the long flight ahead. I press the play button on the built in remote in my seat and the soft notes of "**_Yiruma_**" start floating around me. I close my eyes and drown myself in the soothing music. A light tap on my arm makes me open my eyes. I notice the air hostess leaning down, into me with her lips parted.

"Mr. Orrick, is there anything you need?" she asks me in a husky voice. I know the effect I have on women. I am used to it by now. I don't know what it is that draws them to me. Is it my personality, my wealth or my physique? I don't know and frankly, I don't care if all they want from me is a good roll in the hay. It's not as though I am looking for my soul mate.

I always make it clear to the women I am sleeping with that I am looking for nothing more than great sex. I don't want them building castles in the air. I don't do relationships and I make sure they know full well what they are getting themselves into before they agree to be my sexual partner.

I look at the stewardess who is still looking at me expectantly. I am sure she expects me to fuck her. I look down at my arm where her immaculately manicured hand is still lightly placed. I pin her with my intense stare and tell her "I don't need anything. Thanks."

I see her breathing quicken under my gaze. She licks her lips nervously. I know the signs that women send me coyly, silently pleading me to screw the living daylights out of them. I agree that sometimes I like the chase. But I am really not in the mood for it today. I just want to be alone. I guess women can't take a hint.

"Let me know if there is anything you need sir. I am happy to be of service to you." She says her eyes darkening with lust. I nod at her and she walks away. I go back to listening to my music.

At some point in the night I wake up from my dreamless sleep. I notice that I have slept for a few hours now. I look around and notice all my employees sleeping in their reclined seats. I get up to use the restroom in my private cabin to shower and freshen up a little but end up deciding against it. Instead I use the common lavatory. I open the door and walk to the sink to splash some water onto my face when I hear the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor behind me.

She snakes her arms around my waist and bites my earlobe. "Mr. Orrick, are you sure there is nothing I can do for you?" she asks me in a more provocative tone. I untangle myself from her and turn to face her. Looking her straight in the eye I say "What's your name?"

"My name is Natasha Cunningham. Please, please fuck me. I desperately need you inside me right now." She says almost begging me.

"Are you married Miss Cunningham?" I ask. I just don't sleep with married women. That's a no-go area for me.

"I am just 24, Mr. Orrick. No, I am not married and I don't have a boyfriend. I am single." She tells me.

"Miss Cunningham, if you badly want me that much I need you to sign on a blank sheet of paper for me". She looks up at me with a confused expression. She doesn't comprehend what I am saying.

"Even if I agree to fuck you right now, I want you to understand that it's going to be a onetime thing. I don't want you having any expectations or reading anything into it. Now run along and get me a pen and a sheet of paper from my letter pad that is kept inside the drawer of the desk in front my seat."

I see the excitement soar up in her eyes as she hurries out of the loo to get a sheet of paper and a pen. She is back in seconds with it.

"Now, sign there at the bottom of the page Miss Cunningham." I order. She immediately signs on the dotted line and hands me the signed piece of paper. I take it from her and pocket it.

"This letter is for future purposes if and when you start getting vile thoughts about a non-existent relationship between us and you decide to pursue me or try to trap me into marriage or even worse decide to sue me for sexual harassment! Just avoiding unnecessary trouble this way." I say smiling coldly at her.

I see fear crawl into her eyes. She definitely doesn't know what I am capable of doing if I am crossed.

"I want this too much Mr. Orrick to try and twist it into something it's not." She says earnestly.

"I have heard that a lot before. Trust me." I say walking towards her.

"It's just that I have become immune to such declarations. Now do you want me to fuck you or not?" I ask. The lust is back in her eyes and she nods.

"Strip now. Take all your clothes off. Leave your panties and those heels on. I want everything else gone." I say with authority as I stand with my legs held slightly apart and my arms crossed over my chest. She gets rid of all her clothing and stands before me submissively in nothing but her pink thong and black heels.

"Take your neck scarf and tie it up as a gag around your mouth so that you don't wake the others up with your moans and screams" She does as she is told. Her breathing is erratic. I can see her heart beat wildly in her chest.

"Now place your breasts on the marble counter behind you and lean over it. I want your whole upper body completely flattened against the counter and put your hands above your head." I hear her gasp of pleasure as her nipples hit the cool marble counter. I reach down, free myself from my pants and open the counter beneath the sink. I take out a packet of condom, rip it open and roll it down my length. I then walk towards her and come to stand behind her. I reach down and pull the thong to one side as I guide my length and push into her in one hard thrust.

She moans her feeling of pleasure. It always elicits the same response from all women. I give her a few seconds to get accustomed to my sheer size. When I hear her groan of frustration, asking me to give it to her hard and fast, I simply set myself to fulfilling her wish. I grab her hips and start pumping hard into her at a fast paced rhythm.

After a few minutes she reaches her climax and comes gushing all over my length and I pull out of her before I reach my own release. I remove the condom and dispose it.

"Thank you Mr. Orrick for that. That was out of this world." She says and turns to look at me. I see her extremely satisfied smile quickly turn into a frown when she sees that I am still fully clothed.

"Get dressed Miss Cunningham. Feel free to use the rest room for as long as you want. I would also like it, if you didn't speak about what happened here with anyone. I would hate suing you in court for breaking the Non Disclosure Agreement you just signed a few minutes ago." I say in a cool distant tone, cleaning myself up with a paper towel. I see the confusion in her eyes become more evident with every passing minute.

"Have I made myself clear Miss Cunningham? Or do I have to spell it out for you?" I ask in a hard voice.

"Crystal clear Mr. Orrick!" she says looking slightly hurt and disappointed.

I straighten my pants and walk out of the loo without looking back at her.

We land in Singapore at dawn. I bid goodbye to Jake. "We leave tomorrow afternoon if everything goes according to plan. I'll let you know. Good night Jake." I say.

"Good night Mr. Orrick" He says and nods his agreement.

I then turn to my team of lawyers "Gentlemen, we are booked into the Roche for our stay here. Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll see you all tomorrow morning."

A car and a limousine are waiting outside the airport to pick us up. I get into the waiting car and drive off towards the hotel.

I have been given the penthouse sky suite at the Roche. This is the ultimate celebration of victory to me, to see the hotel chain exchange hands and to be able to finally walk into that suite and feel the power of ownership and possession flow through my blood.

I check into my hotel suite. I am going to own this baby in a few hours and can't help the grin that sneaks up on my face. I walk into the living room of the suite and notice the earth below me being lit like a Christmas tree. The inky black night sky extends infinitely before me. I soak up the view. A moment of acute loneliness and sadness hits me as I stand there looking down at the world beneath me. Those damn feelings again! I wish I was cold and unfeeling.

When I can't take it anymore I walk backwards keeping the view in sight, my hands still in my pant pockets. I turn away and walk into the bedroom of the suite and get ready for bed. I unclothe leaving just my boxers on and get into the huge king sized bed. The bed room of the suite also boasts of a spectacular view. No matter where I go, I always prefer to stay in these sky suites because of the view they offer. It's my way of having the world outside, within my sight all the time. I can always reach out and touch it when I want to, unlike my childhood days.

Tomorrow is a really important day and I don't want to mess it up by succumbing to jet lag. I am a constant traveler, always on the go, continuously traveling between countries, visiting my international offices. I have always managed to successfully battle jet lag. As I lay there with my hands resting under my head, staring at the ceiling, I feel a wave of forlornness wash over me. It somehow feels cold and I turn on my bed to the view that is now mocking me silently. I stare back at it with a challenging glare and draw the comforter up in defense. After a long time I finally manage to drift off to sleep.

The shrill cry of my alarm wakes me up. I jolt up in bed and switch on the bed side lamp. The clock shows six a.m. Old habits die hard, I guess. Walking into the connecting bathroom I flip the lights on to take a good look at my face. A zombie stares back at me. Great! I have had another night of restless sleep with a lot of twisting and turning. I know what the trigger is and what is causing it. I'll deal with it later.

I splash some cold water onto my face, instantly feeling better. The suite hosts a built in state of the art gym. I decide to work all the fatigue off from yesterday. I plug my wireless headphones in and get ready to break some serious sweat.

After gymming without a break for about an hour and a half, I quickly shower and get ready for the meeting. The meeting is being held in one of the boardrooms located on the 40th floor of this hotel. I dial Seth's number. He picks up on the third ring. "Good morning Seth. Please meet me with the team in the Whittle boardroom on the 40th floor in a few minutes. That's where the meeting is scheduled to happen."

"Yes Mr. Orrick. I'll be there with our team right away." He says and I end the call. I decide to take the stairs and as I walk into the boardroom, I am greeted by the CEO of the Roche chain of hotels, Mr. Jonathan Wong.

"Welcome Mr. Orrick. How was your flight? I hope your stay here at our hotel was comfortable." He enquires as he shakes my hand.

"Thanks Mr. Wong. Call me Christopher, please. My flight was good. The stay here was intensely satisfying as usual" I reply.

Roche offers word class accommodation to its guests. This is going to be another feather in my cap, I think to myself.

My lawyers walk in and after a round of handshakes and greetings we get down to business.

It's nearly 3pm when we finally settle all the details and manage to cinch the deal. I can't stop the rush of happiness that floods me. I feel delirious.

Mr. Wong walks up to me after the meeting. "Congratulations Christopher! The esteemed Roche Group, Singapore, now belongs to you. As a sort of complimentary gift we have arranged a trip to Bali for you and your team. You must accept it, please."

It's not like I am in need of complimentary gifts, but I am in the mood to celebrate and it's been a long time since I took a holiday. So I accept the offer. I tell my team that we are going to Bali and they hi-fi each other like some super excited teenagers. My team has worked really hard for this and I feel convinced that this trip to Bali is just what they need to unwind. I call Jake and ask him to join us too. He refuses to come to Bali with us, making some excuse about feeling ill and wanting to lie in bed.

"Ok Jake, Take care and rest a little. We should be back in three or four days. We'll leave for London as soon as I get back. Till then, feel free to make yourself feel at home here in Roche. After all, it's mine now." I say with a touch of pride in my voice.

"Congratulations Sir. You go, have a nice holiday." He tells me.

Mr. Jonathan Wong meets me in the hotel lobby after an hour. My team is already there, dressed in shorts and polo t-shirts and sporting sunglasses.

"We have arranged a private jet to fly you to Bali and back. A chauffer driven car will be waiting for you at the Bali airport to pick you up. I have booked the finest resort in Bali for the duration of your stay. Three days of sightseeing and some special activities have also been planned for you and your team. Of course, if you want to be driven to someplace else all you have to do is let the driver know. He will be at your service 24x7 as the other staff at the resort. Have a nice holiday Christopher." He holds my hand with both of his and shakes it, smiling at me. I thank him and we leave for the airport.

As I board the plane and watch the flight take off, there is a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I can't seem to shake it off.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter four**

The last three days in Bali have been amazing so far. Bali is such a beautiful place. It's like heaven on earth.

Lounging by the pool of our resort in a red polka dot bikini, I admire the view spread out before me, the endless blue sky and the deep blue ocean extending gloriously, knowing no bounds. I look at Shara. She has a colorful sarong with a lovely bohemian print, wrapped around her sexy body. She is reading a _freaking_ book as usual!

I am definitely not interested in knowing what it is that she is reading. I also don't want to be completely unreasonable, so I give her some credit for accompanying me on a mad shopping spree yesterday without making a fuss. She has impeccable taste in fashion. She puts it to good use only when she is in the mood. She is a complete puzzle, that one.

"What do you want to do today Shara?" I ask her.

"Hmmm…?" She says absent mindedly, without looking up from her book. I am pretty sure she is lost so deeply in there that I will have to send out a rescue team into the book to find her. I give her a light shove.

"Shara, I am talking to you." My voice is a little louder this time.

"Hmmm. Yeah…" She says, still not paying attention to me.

I wrench the bloody book from her hand and hold it behind my back so that she doesn't snatch it back from me. She pins me with a glare. "I don't like anything that's mine, being snatched away from me." Her face has now gone totally serious. I try reading her face, but it's a blank mask.

Geez! This woman needs to cheer up a little. It's just a book. "Relax Shara. We are in Bali. Look around you woman! There's so much to see, so much to explore. I won't have you hiding behind your books Shara. Don't be such a killjoy."

She sighs heavily. "Fine, tell me what you had in mind for today."

"I want you to suggest something for today. We'll do something that you like."

"Are you absolutely, one hundred percent sure that you want me to plan the day?" she asks me skeptically.

"Yes, surprise me!" I tell her with a warm smile.

She has a mischievous look on her face that makes her look so young. She puts out her hand for the book. I debate on whether I should hand it back to her. I don't want her getting all touchy-feely over a silly book, so I end up giving it back to her. She stands up, picking up her phone and is about to walk away, but she turns and sends me a naughty look and grins "We leave in an hour. Be ready."

I decide to lounge around some more, soaking up the sun, trying to work up some tan. I pull my sun glasses down and perch them on my nose and am about to close my eyes peacefully when the women around me start talking hurriedly in hushed voices. I frown. The voices have now turned into loud sensual moans. _What the fuck!?_

Scowling slightly, I raise myself a little, resting on my elbows, I decide to throw a glare their way but I notice that every single woman in the vicinity is looking in one particular direction.

I turn in their direction to see, what the commotion is all about. A tall man with spiky, short hair, dressed in khaki shorts and crisp white shirt is standing by the edge of the pool talking to another guy. Okay, the guy is smoking hot! Six foot three, broad shouldered, gorgeous mane, brawny arms and abs, classic athletic build, powerful legs, make him look like a delectable package to the ladies. All the women in here now have their eyes trained on this sexy stranger, eyeing him like a piece of meat.

I almost feel bad for the guy. With such a killer body and the label, alpha male stamped all over him, I am surprised he doesn't walk around dragging women clinging tightly to his legs. I am positively sure that he is always buried under a pile of women who throw themselves at him like the moths at flames.

A blonde woman walking past him bumps into him accidently. That's what an innocent onlooker might think but I know better. He reaches out a hand to steady her. She gladly curls herself around him making use of the opportunity, looking up at him suggestively. I almost fall off the chair, laughing. Wow! He is the Pied-piper for women.

But the stranger doesn't smile back at the blonde. He simply deposits her and turns away from her. Poor guy! He must be sick and tired of all this flocking. He doesn't like attention, I gather.

If it wasn't for the fact that I have already lost my heart to someone, I would definitely have fallen for this dark, sexy stranger. But I love someone back home very deeply. No other man will do for me. Sigh!

I go back to lying lazily on the pool chair. Closing my eyes I try dreaming of beautiful places when I feel like somebody is watching me. _That's strange. _I open one eye and peek up at whoever it is that is looking down at me. _Holy shit!_

A pair of deep, honey brown coloured eyes are staring down at me, unblinkingly. It's the sexy Pied piper! _Whoa! _Some really intense guy he is. Wait, why is he looking at me as though he knows me from somewhere? I clear my throat, trying to prompt him into speaking. He continues staring at me blankly. Fine, Mr. If you don't wanna talk, I will. I decide to ask him what his problem is. "Um… Hello there. Everything alright?" I ask waving my hand vigorously in front of him.

"Is your last name Wolf, by any chance?" He asks. I frown. Okay, this is getting slightly creepy. First, Mr. Pied piper stares at me as though he knows me and now it turns out he does. I am starting to panic a little, wishing Shara was here. She would know how to handle creepy, but handsome looking stalkers.

"Um…Yes" I say, looking around for a means of escape. Where are those clingy women when you need them, huh? I think to myself angrily.

"Is your name Alice Wolf?" He asks me without missing a beat. I am stumped! My jaw is lying around, somewhere on the floor, I am quite sure. How does he know my name? Wait, am I in some trouble? Am I going to be arrested? I look for a badge, a gun, a pair of handcuffs, something, anything that tells me, he is CIA. But I find nothing on him.

I am hyperventilating now. I don't know what to do. I pull my mobile phone out from my shoulder bag sneakily, (hard to be sneaky when Mr. Pied piper is staring straight at you) wanting to call Shara and ask her to get her ass down here this minute! I feel out of depth here with this guy.

I look at him to find him looking back at me with an amused smile. I think he just read my mind correctly. "Don't worry Miss Wolf. I don't bite. You are safe with me. I knew your father, Alan Frederick Wolf really well." He says.

I relax visibly. "Oh, how did you know my father?" I ask, my curiosity piqued and I notice him using the word knew and not know. Does that mean daddy is dead? No!

"We did business together. He was a really good friend of mine. I am also close friends with your sister Alana Wolf." He is waiting to see my reaction.

This is an overwhelming load of information. I am being bombarded by a million memories from my childhood. Memories of the huge mansion in which I was born, of me toddling all over the house, of me and Alana playing in our backyard, of our mother coming out the kitchen door into the backyard with a tray full of food, of my dad setting up the dinner table, of my dad trying to sneak a kiss from my mom, of nanny Georgia, of daddy coming home from work, me running to him and him picking me up and giving me a kiss on my forehead, of my mom and dad shouting loudly at each other, my dad looking guilty, my mom sobbing uncontrollably, of her walking into my room with tears in her eyes, packing my bags and carrying me out of the house, the last image of my dad standing by the main door with tears glistening his eyes that has been permanently etched in my brain, flash through my mind like a slideshow on an infinite loop.

I sit down with such force on the chair that it rattles. My face has gone completely pale, and tears have pooled up in my eyes. Blast from the past, they rightly call it. Pied piper is now looking concerned.

I hear a furious voice say "Who the hell are you and what did you say to her that has made her look so pale and ghostly?" He is surprised by the angry, cold voice, and turns to look at Shara standing behind him with her mobile tightly gripped in her hand, looking like a furious guardian angel carved out of ice. _Holy Crap!_


End file.
